Fire with Fire

In this sequel to Burn for Burn, Mary is not satisfied that Reeve, the bully that forced her to leave the island, has truly gotten what he deserves.  True, his scholarship chances are gone, but he still has that cocky attitude and shows no remorse to Mary.  With the help of Kat, and Lillia, another plan is hatched to make Reeve pay, but this one will come back to hurt Lillia as she can't separate her feelings from her assignment and could cost Rennie, the evil queen bee, dearly.  This massive tale of revenge soars leaving readers breathless, confused, and begging for the final installment.

I was able to score a digital ARC from Edelweiss and I'm very happy I did.  Burn for Burn was a typical revenge novel with a paranormal twist at the end.  So little is said about that ending in the second book that the characters, and the reader, start to think it was all just imagination, but no, Mary really does have a secret that even she does not understand.  I can only say that I started to figure it out toward the very end, but the logistics of this secret will have readers scratching their heads, in a good way.  This final book is going to have a lot of explaining to do.

I said this was a massive revenge tale, weighing in over 500 pages, but it fills those pages nicely.  Readers get to burrow into the minds of Lillia, Kat, and Mary even more, learn more about their histories and conflicted feelings about the characters around them.  All except Mary who is fully consumed with Reeve, Reeve, and only Reeve.

Since this is an honestly written book with true to life dialogue, there is some bad language.  Kat, the rebel, knows her way around the F word.  Even Lillia is known to drop a choice four-letter beauty.  To me, it wasn't gratuitous, rather it was well placed and true to life.  And really, if you are reading a book about three girls exacting the ultimate revenge on their enemies, shouldn't you expect some salty language?  If you don't approve of their language, you definitely won't approve of what they do.

But, it's a good fantasy.  I bet we would all like to take our turn as karma, maybe not by drugging people and humiliating them in front of the whole school, but just a little prank to let them know you think they suck.  Like stuffing someone's locker full of shredded paper so it's just an inconvenient mess.

Not that I've ever done something like that.

Yet.

Speaking of pranks, who watches New Girl and loves that Winston is terrible at pranking?  It takes a strange and beautiful mind to think of releasing a badger at someone's wedding.

Back to topic!  I haven't been putting books to the sequel slump or expiration date test lately.  This sequel does not slump, in fact it amps up the action and drama so much, that I honestly liked it more.  But this does have a pretty hard and fast expiration date.  I'd say if you've graduated college, don't read it.  Unless you are a YA junkie like me and enjoy revenge fantasies.

That said, if you need a quick escapist read this summer, read Burn for Burn.  Then sit tight until September when you too can read Fire with Fire.  Then start theorizing how the series will end for the next year until the final installment, Ashes to Ashes, is released.

Happy Reading!

Lies that Bind

Kate attends an elite high school which is ruled by two secret societies, the Brotherhood and the Sisterhood.  These two groups have been at war ever since the school became integrated, but now this war has causalities.  Kate's best friend Grace died in a fire that was caused by the Brotherhood and now it seems like the Brotherhood has kidnapped Bethany, a mean girl leader of the Sisterhood.  Kate helps queen bee Taylor track down her friend while enlisting the help of her next door neighbor, boyfriend (but not for long), and secret crush.  Can Kate save another girl from the Brotherhood before it's too late?

Cue ominous music.

I just realized that I had an interesting experience with this book.  It was sent to me by the publisher, and I thought that this was the first book in a new series, but no, this is the second book in this series.  I feel like Grace's death and so much of the backstory make sense now.  I thought all of that just happened off screen and the reader had to accept it, but now I know that this all went down in another book.  However, I picked up pretty easily, so I would say that you don't necessarily have to read these books in order as the plot, characters, and setting are all pretty stock.

This uber-elite boarding school was set in Cleveland.  That's right, Cleveland.  I don't think old money and privilege when I think of Cleveland - I think of The Drew Carey Show.  And nothing says class like The Drew Carey show.  Right away, the school felt forced.  This wasn't some crazy elite boarding school, just a private school in a mid-western town that, to me at least, is not known for being highbrow.

I also feel like I've met these characters before.  Kate, the rebellious outsider that secretly wants to be part of the country club set, trying to solve the murder of her best friend at the hands of the cool kids.  Liam, the alternative boyfriend that wants Kate to walk away from all of this craziness.  Taylor, the queen bee who must reach out to the rebel Kate because she's the only one that will believe her.  Seth, funny boy-next-door that doesn't have a chance (but just wait until he gets that Silcon Valley job and the ladies will be lined up around the block).

Didn't I already watch this Lifetime movie?  Wasn't Candice Cameron in that one?

The Liar Society is meant for fans of Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game I'm sure.  I have read one volume of The Lying Game and those girls were practically sociopaths.  The action is so much more intense and the characters are amped up too.  This book just does not live up to it's predecessors.

If you are looking for a book about extreme mean girls, read The Lying Game or better yet, Burn for Burn (just started the second in that series Fire with Fire and I can tell it's going to be good).  If you want a girl detective, check out Heist Society or the adorable Also Known As.  If you want secret societies run amok, watch The Skulls.

Remember that movie?  A little Paul Walker action before he made 29 Fast and Furious movies.  Really, we should all go watch Fast6 because Paul Walker has to eat!

Happy Reading!

Weather Witch

In a fanstatical, pre-steampunk Philadelphia, Jordan is preparing for her 17th birthday, which is the most important of birthdays.  If by your 17th birthday, you have shown no signs of magic, then you are good and truly Grounded.  In this society, witches and magicians are fiercely distrusted, and tortured and abused into providing power for the entire city.  Some visionaries are calling for steam, but the population cannot trust witches, so the practice of mining witches continues.  Someone is playing a dark game, and Wardens are sent to Jordan's party where she is shown to be a Weather Witch, then she is hauled away to Holgate, the community with Makes and houses witches.

While Jordan is captured, her friend Rowan is busy defending her honor and getting himself into trouble.  Also, an escaped weather witch, Marian, is on the lose set on seeking his family and destroying the man that Made him.  And what of the Maker, the cruel designer of witches and their trade.  He has just learned he is a father and is burdened with a child that teaches him more about love and responsibility than he thought possible.  All things come to a head at the end, leaving more action for another installment.

This is another NetGalley title.  Again, the freeness of this book does not effect my review.  And I am trying to get through as many galleys as possible in preparation for ALA.

At first glance, this is more than just a steampunk book.  Truly is has much of the marking of steampunk with a revisionist history and alternative technology, but there are positively fantastical elements at play, that often compete with the main plot line of the story.  There are strange water beasts, like the Merrow, that are problems in this story, and the reader can only assume will have a bigger role in future books.  There are several plot points that will hopefully be addressed in later books, like Lady Astrea's reanimation, and perhaps the implied treachery of Carina.

Rowen is a wonderful character that adds comedy this quickly paced book.  Jordan, despite her high class upbringing, is surprisingly brace.  Although why did Rowen tell her to "be brave" before there was any danger.  Perhaps that will be answered too.  Bran, the Maker, is despicable at times, but sympathetic at others.  There are also some engaging passages and peripheral action that will keep readers turning pages.

As a reader that is admittedly not entirely on board with steampunk, I have to say that I enjoyed this book.  I did want to know what was happening with Jordan, and I loved the intensity as she discovered the cause of her witchcraft toward the end.  That being said, I'm not sure that I would continue in this series.  The characters seem pretty predictable and while I can't guess the specifics, I bet I can guess the main outcomes for this series.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, I am just not that invested in the characters to read for the exact details.

For fans of steampunk, this is a worthy book, but I don't see it gaining much mainstream acclaim.

Happy Reading!

VBS Preview

Oh, it's finally over!  VBS is fun but exhausting.  This year we went four days, two hours per day, 25 kids, six baggies of sand spilled all over, one mashed up cupcake, two buckets of water mostly worn by our kids, one robot made out of a Culligan bottle, and one great time being together learning about Jesus.

And I couldn't be more tired.

This week I spent eight hours at work, 20 minutes at home, nearly an hour prepping, two hours overseeing the crazy, another 1/2 hour tearing down, then 20 minutes or so awake in my home before I just couldn't take it anymore and went to bed.  For four days straight.  I haven't had time for dinner since Sunday and I endured one fun panic attack, but it's over and it was worth it.

And I'll tell you all about it next week.

Last night as I was basking in the glow of a successful VBS where everyone had fun, no one was hurt (we used to play Red Rover at my VBS as a child, so someone always went home with a black eye), and all adults were pleased, I checked my email.  And you know what I saw-previews of the themes for VBS 2014.  Seriously.  I just finished, minutes ago, and know I'm thinking about next year.

But next year sounds cool.  It's Gateway to Galilee and will be all about Jesus and his work with the disciples.  And I won't have to explain the Transfiguration to five year olds so bonus.

Soon I shall sleep.  After I finish cleaning up the mess and props from VBS in time for our ice cream social tonight.  Maybe I'll actually try to eat dinner tonight.

Happy Reading!

I Funny

I received I Funny as a free galley from the publisher.  The freeness of this book did not impact this review.  Frankly, I have a big stack of galleys that I am trying to get through before my trip to ALA next week where I will undoubtedly pick up more free galleys.

Jamie Grimm is the class comedian, in addition to being not only the new kid, but also the kid in the wheelchair.  He doesn't let that get him down, and in fact, bullies are his biggest audience, and there's no bigger bully than his adopted brother, Steve.  Between dodging Steve, helping at his uncle's diner, and cracking jokes, Jamie has a pretty full life.  Then he hears about The Planet's Funniest Kid Comic contest, and even though he's insanely nervous, he does it anyway and learns more about himself, his family, and his friends than he thought possible.  Also, wrapped up in this story of jokes and laughs is a serious plot line, although it does not get the credit that it deserves.  With black and white illustrations, plenty of jokes, and some heartfelt action, it seems that James Patterson (although more largely Chris Grabenstein) is trying to cash in on the success of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but this is one joke that just falls flat.

I have to admit that I have never made it completely through a James Patterson novel; adult, children's, written by him, mostly written by a co-author or otherwise.  I tried with Maximum Ride but I found his style of taking one step forward and two steps back distracting.  And I Funny is no different.  Take out the repetition, pictures, and 20% of the bad jokes, and you have a 20 page book, max.  You feel like the book is not going anywhere since you spend half of each two page chapter summarizing the chapter before.

Aside from the frustration, it's a very quick book.  Patterson (and his legion of co-authors) writes books for those of us with short attention spans, however, I think even a fruit fly has a longer attention span than this.

Do you get the feeling that I wasn't completely blown away by this book?  Parts of it are funny.  Parts of it are touching.  Parts of it are worth reading.  But those parts do not make a whole.  When boiled down, this is a good book about a positive kid overcoming his obstacles in a mostly un-sappy way, but the delivery is all wrong.

For young readers that want a funny book, full of cool illustrations, give them Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, 43 Old Cemetery Road, or one of the dozens of joke books shelved in every public library.

Happy Reading

Will in Scarlet

Thank you NetGalley for a free ARC of the latest Matthew Cody book!  The freeness of this book did not influence my opinions.

William Shackley is the son of a wealthy land lord in service to King Richard.  At first, his life is all lessons, diplomacy, and the occasional trick on his Nanny, but when it is reported that King Richard has been imprisoned, and Will's father with him, and that Prince John is taking the throne, diplomacy becomes the main focus of Will's life.  But when he justifiably attacks the lackey of the vile Sir Guy, the whole castle irrupts and Will must flee.  Instead of fleeing to France with his mother, Will ends up with the Merry Men where he plots to kill Sir Guy, befriends ne'er-do-wells, sees England for what it really is, and awakens a legend.

On the surface, this is a retelling of Robin Hood, but Rob, as he prefers to be known, isn't the central character.  Will and the miller's daughter masquerading as a boy, Much, are the two primary characters. For Will's part, he grows from being a spoiled and sheltered lordling to a fine and generous bandit.  The first scene in which he becomes Will the wolfslayer really foreshadows the whole story quite well, in that he is fighting an enemy that he does not know or understand and he might be fighting against the wrong one.  The losses that Will experiences are difficult, but all of that makes him into the young man that he is by the end of the book.

Much has her own secrets that she is hiding.  As a girl living amongst bandits, she gets protection, but it also seems that she sees things the other miss and having her narration adds to the fullness of the story.

Rob is a secondary character seen through Will and Much's eyes.  Once he finally sobers up (and it's not until he's truly good and sober that the reader even realizes who he is), he becomes the arrogant and boastful leader of the Merry Men.  Honestly, I would say he is a little like Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow--lighthearted and witty, yet determined to reach his goal.  Little John is a kind soul in a giant's body, and the rest of the lot seem to be cowardly scoundrels, but likable enough.

I would say that Will in Scarlet is another good Caudill candidate.  This book would appeal to grades 5-7, and since it is told in both Will and Much's voice, it should appeal to boys and girls.  Also, while it alludes to drinking wine and rough language, it never actually shows those activities, rather it uses the type of Shakespearian insult that are more funny than crude.

While I don't think that Will in Scarlet necessarily needs a sequel, I think one will be on the way.  But if not, the story ends in quite a satisfying manner, so either way, readers will enjoy.  It is nice sometimes to read a book that ends cleanly enough that you are pleased, but leaves just a few questions.  More like a vague "and then what happens?" rather than a frantic "I must know what happens next!!"

I think that might be a key difference between children's and YA lit.  In children's lit, there is more resolution between plot points, with enough room for more adventures, but in YA, the author ends a book by saying "That's when the shooting started"  (Thanks Veronica Roth).

All in all, Will in Scarlet is a fun historical fiction (heavy on the fiction) adventure story.  And this reader looks forward to a new adventure down the road.

Happy Reading!

New Shoes, New Look, New News

Happy Friday!!  I'm looking forward to a nice weekend full of frantically running around prepping for VBS on Monday.  And taking a nap.  Or sleeping for a week.  One of the two.

There are several items of note that I want to address today, so let's get started!

1.  New Shoes for a New Upgrade!  Yup, my lowly secretarial position was upgraded to a slightly less lowly secretarial position with a slight pay increase, so that means new shoes!  I bought these funky little beautys for $15, because honestly I'm making maybe $4 more per day and there are other expenses in my life that are more pressing than footwear.

2.  New Look!  I changed up the blog a little bit.  I like the new look.  It's cleaner and simpler, like how I would like my house to be.  Also, my little blog has been going for a whole year now, and while I'm not the most popular book blog on the block (not by a long shot), I enjoy it.  It gives me a reason to read more and do more.  Yea for motivation!

3.  New News!  I've hit upon a couple of great articles this week that I think you need to read.

I read this article last week about GRRM of Game of Thrones fame set to write a children's book full of the kind of death and destruction that zaps all joy and light from a child's eyes.  Someone tell me this is satire.  I want this to be satire.

Amy Poelher loves Judy Blume and wants to sit at her feet and be read to.  Don't we all!

NPR has sparked some hot debate about what kids are reading, but their source is the hated Accelerated Reader-hardly an authority in book leveling to many librarians and teachers.  Get in on the action or grab your popcorn and enjoy the drama!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of good books, good food, and good naps!

Happy Reading!